1 » In addition to earning a commitment from four-star 2012 running back Matt Jones (Seffner, FL) on Monday, the Florida Gators also found out that long-snapper/tight end Kyle Crofoot has decided to accept an offer to be a preferred walk-on for 2011, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s Chris Hays. The brother of Florida redshirt freshman walk-on kicker/holder John Crofoot, Kyle will enroll in the summer with hopes of eventually earning a scholarship.

2 » The subject of rumors throughout the season, Gators freshman defensive tackle Dominique Easley recently spoke with his hometown newspaper, the Staten Island Advance, about his tumultuous season and newfound happiness at Florida. “I thought about leaving,” he told the paper, citing the demanding nature of head coach Urban Meyer and the stage of The Swamp as tough obstacles to overcome. “I was just uncomfortable with a lot of things. I was wondering if I was at the right place for me. […] It wasn’t what I was used to. [Gainesville, FL] is a lot different than Staten Island.” With an improved mindset and new coaching staff behind him, Easley is hopeful to turn things around at the University of Florida. “They let me know what they expected, and said they’d give me an opportunity to show them what I can do,” he said. “That’s what I wanted to hear, and I feel a lot more comfortable about the way things are going.”

3 » Florida basketball is in the middle of putting together what looks to be an exciting season, but plenty of discussion continues to surround five-star guard Brad Beal (St. Louis, MO), who will join the program at the end of the year. Featured along with his Chaminade High School teammates on ESPNU Saturday, Beal exploded for 40 points, six assists, six rebounds and four steals as he propelled his team to a 76-58 victory. “That was something, really something,” the opposition’s head coach, Randy Reed, said of Beal’s showing. “He has a smooth, old-school spirit. One of the best I’ve ever seen in St. Louis. […] His basketball IQ is so much higher than these high school player. His IQ is like a junior in college. He’s so smooth I don’t think he even sweats on the court. I don’t think we’ll see another kid like him around here for a while.” [VIDEO]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bryan Burwell described Beal’s performance this way:

Randy Reed kept running different defenders at Beal, tall ones and short ones, quick ones and burly ones, and Beal lit each and every one of them up. Slashing drives down the lane. Muscling spin moves in the paint. Three-pointers and mid-range pullups that kept making sweet, sweet string music from every conceivable angle. […]

Watching him play basketball against other high school kids with less sparkling hoop résumés like this is almost unfair. He is that good. He is that smooth. He is that completely aware of how to play the game the right way, even with the dazzling athletic flourishes he put on display on national [TV].

4 » Starting her senior season with a bang, Gators pitcher Stephanie Brombacher was named Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week after posting a 3-0 record including her second perfect game in as many seasons. Read more about Brombacher’s trio of stellar performances over the weekend right here.

I hope Beal isn’t going to be a one and done. It certainly sounds like he could be. Donovan doesn’t seem to recruit them if that is the plan, though, so we may get lucky. He seemed genuinely surprised when Calathes and Speights left early. If they hadn’t we would have had a beast of a team last year.

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